Centrifugal pump and compressor.



H. F. BENSON.

CENTBIFUGAL PUMP AND oommasson.

APPLICATION FILED FEILBB, 1909.

974,345, Patented Nov. 1,1910.

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Witnesses I nvenbor', Har-r- F-I Benson,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY F. BENSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, 'A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application filed February 26, 1909. Serial No. 480,089.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. BENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Masachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Pumps and Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to centrifugal pumps and air compressors and has for its object to improve their construction.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention attention is directed to the accompanying description and claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing is shown one of the embodiments of my invention, the said drawing illustrating a centrifugal pump in axial section.

1 indicates the base upon which is. supported the centrifugal pump by means of feet on opposite sides of the casing, one of which, 2, is indicated by dotted lines. The right-hand end of the base is open to perm1t the parts of the casing to be slid into place. The casing is made in two principal parts a-right hand 3 and a left hand 4. Both the inlet conduit 5 and the discharge conduit 6 are formed in the left hand section or part so that the impeller and discharge vanes can be exposed by taking ofl the right hand part, and this without breaking the pipe connections to and from the pump or disturbing the driving motor. This is a very advantageous arrangement because it is not only diflicult at times but also expensive to disturb the driving motor or to take down and set up heavy pipes such as are employed with apparatus of this character. By providing both parts of the easing with feet the right hand section can be readily removed by sliding it along the base until free of the impeller when it can be moved by a crane or other means. In some cases where it is only desired to inspect the parts it is unnecessary to remove said right hand casing section from the base, the len th of the engaging surface of the foot an base being ample for the purpose. The parts of the casing are divided in a plane perpendicular to the shaft which passes through the center of the impeller. Axial bolts 7 unite the parts.

Located within the casing and supported wholly by the left hand section of the easing is an impeller 8 having substantially radial vanes 9 on opposite sides. These vanes may be cast jointed into the body of the impeller at the time it is cast. The sides of the vanes are covered'by plates 10 that are secured by tenons formed integral with the vanes. A shaft 11 is rovided for the impeller which is supported by a bearing 12 carried wholly by the left hand casing section. This bearing is provided with an annular flange that is bolted to the side of the casing. In the bearing is a packing to prevent the escape of fluid from the impeller chamber. It will be seen that the impeller is overhungthat is to say is on the end of the shaft and beyond the bearing. This means that after the right hand side of the casing is taken off the impeller can be removed from the shaft by unscrewing the nut 13 and sliding it axially to the right, the structure of the discharge vanes and support therefor permitting of this, as will appear later.

Surrounding the impeller is an annular fluid discharging device comprising side members 14 and 15 with vanes 16 between that extend substantially in the direction of flow of the fluid discharged by the impeller. The cross-sectional area of the passages between vanes increases from the entrance to the exhaust b an amount sufiicient to reduce the veloclty of the fluid to a negligible value. The vanes are carried by t e left hand member 14 and the lane of division coincides with the left han side wall of the member 15. The members 14 and 15 are secured respectively to the casing sections 4 and 3 by axially extending bolts 17. The bore of each of said members is provided with a shoulder that fits into the bore of the casing and serves to center the same. The bore of each member is well rounded as shown so that the fluid will enter the impeller easily and without shock. By admitting fluid on both sides of the impeller the tendency to end thrust is avoided. It is also to be noted that the said rounded portion covers the bore of the side plate to prevent the entering fluid from striking it.

Cored in the right hand casing section is an annular chamber 18 and a similar chamber 19 in the other section. Owing to the terrupt the continuity of each of these chambers but such is not the case for the metal v around the bolts only interrupts the chamber at intervals and that there is abundant space for the fluid between them. The chambers communicate at their under sides with the inlet conduit 5. Surrounding the fluid discharging device is an annular chamber 20 that receives all of the fluid therefrom and discharges it into the outlet 6.

Under certain conditions it is desirable to cool the interior parts of the apparatus as for example when air is being compressed. To provi e for this, annular chambers 21 and 22 are formed partly in the side members 14 and 15 and partly in the casing sections. Cooling fluid is admitted to the chamber 21 by the ipe 23 or the plug 24 may be removed an a supply pipe tapped into the opening, or the drain may connect with the passage 25. The chamber 22 is similarly supplied with water or other cooling fluid through a ipe and may be drained by the passage 26. t being understood that in such an event the plug is removed and a pipe connected thereto. In some cases it is desirable to cool the bearing with the same cooling fluid that circulates around the chambers in one or both of the side members of the fluid discharging device. In this event the lower end of pipe 23 is connected to a coolin chamber 27 around the bearing.

In accor ance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the princ ple of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus of, the character described, the combination of a casing divided into sections in a plane perpendicular to the shaft and provided with inner and outer concentric shoulders, inlet and discharge conduits formed in one section onl of the casing that terminate in lanes para lel to the shaft, a shaft, an impell r mounted thereon and overhung and having covered blades on opposite sides, a bearing for the shaft carried solely by the casing section that con tains the conduits, and an annular discharging device seated in said shoulders and inclosing the covering on the blades and cooperating with the inner and outer edges thereon, which device surrounds the impeller and is made in two principal parts,

' one of which is attached to one casin section and the other to the opposing sect1on.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a casing divided into right and left hand sections in a plane perpendicular to the shaft, inlet and discharge conduits carried solely by the section through which the shaft extends, a shaft, an impeller mounted on the end of the shaft, a single bearing for the shaft, carried solely by the section that carries the conduits, an annular fluid discharging device comprising two members located on'o posite sides of the impeller and having we 1 rounded bores and fluid directing vanes that extend between the members, means for attaching one of the members toone casing section and the other to the opposite, and a base on which both casing sections are mounted, the section opposite the one having the conduits bzilpg shdable thereon. to expose the imp er.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a base, a casing divided into right and left hand sections in a plane perpendicular to the shaft, feet on I the separate parts of the casing that rest on the base and are slidable thereon, inlet and discharge conduits carried solely by the section through which the shaft extends, a shaft, an impeller mounted on the end of the shaft, a single bearing for the shaft, carried solely by the section that carries the conduits, an annular fluid discharging device comprising two members located on opposite sides of the impeller and having well rounded bores and fluid directing vanes that extend between the members, means for attaching one of the members to one casing section and the other to the opposite, an annular chamber formed in each of the casing sections both of which communicate with the inlet conduit and receive fluid therefrom, and a central annular chamber, which surrounds the fluid discharging device and is formed partly in one casing section and partly in the other and communicates with the discharge conduit. 7

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a casin divided into sections in a plane perpendicu ar to the shaft, inlet and discharge conduits formed solely in one of the sections, a shaft, an impeller mounted thereon and having vanes on opposite sides, plates covering the sides of the vanes, a bearing for the shaft which is supp rted solely by the section containing the dfimduits, an annular fluid dischargingdevic that surrounds the impeller that comprises two principal members, a shoulder on each of said members which serves to center it and also to cover the bore of the adjacent plate on the side of the impeller vanes, means for attaching one of said members and its directing vanes to one of said sections, other means for attaching the other member to the other casing section, a chamber surrounding the discharging devices that is formed partly in one section and partly in the other, the said chamber communicating with the discharge conduits, and a chamber formed in each of said casing sections which sup- 5 plies fluid to the impeller and communicates with the inlet.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty fourth day of February, 1909.

HARRY F. BENSON.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN A. McMANUs, J r., CHARLES A. 'BARNARD. 

